


Greybox

by katiebour



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drinking & Talking, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2013-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-08 20:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiebour/pseuds/katiebour





	Greybox

Shep sat on Kasumi’s couch, eyes slightly unfocused, drink in hand, and tried to remember what the question was.

“I don’ know?” she offered at last, and took another sip of the concoction. Not as strong as that “quad” she’d had back on the Citadel- that’d sent her puking to the unisex bathroom, Garrus and Mordin not daring to comment.

“You have beautiful hair,” Kasumi said to Doctor Chakwas, fingers in silver strands as she attempted some sort of braided arrangement. Shep giggled to herself momentarily- what was Chakwas’ first name? Doctor would be a funny first name.

“What’s your first name again, Doctor,” she giggled, and Chakwas fixed her with a gimlet eye.

“Karin,” the doctor replied, and Shep bounced that around in her head. Karin. Doctor Karin. Karin Doctor Chakwas. KC. She giggled again.

“I think you’ve had rather too much to drink,” the doctor said at last, and Shep shook her head, downing the rest of the glass. ”You’ve been all but pickling yourself these last few months.”

“Karin Doctor Serrice Ice Brandy is going to tell me I drink too much?” Shep replied, the alcoholic effect already dissapating- damn those cybernetics that Miranda had put in her. ”As compared to what?”

Shep could all but hear her own personal VI chiming in- _the alcohol in your system has been neutralized, Commander. Return to optimal condition complete._

“I drink more than I did before I died?” Shep got up, poured herself another drink, and drained it. ”Not many people get to say that, really. ’Before I was dead.’ Anyway as long as I do my job, perform my function, save the goddamn universe again, who cares whether or not I pickle myself?”

Doctor Karin sighed, and drained her own cup. ”I’d say I care, Shepard, but that seems a drop in the cosmic bucket, as it were. Take it as a note of concern from a friend if nothing else.”

Kasumi finished the braids and lounged bonelessly on the chair. ”I asked what you liked best about him,” she reminded, and Shep nodded.

“Eyebrows,” she answered after a moment’s thought. ”He has the best eyebrows. He looks so stern- it was worth seeing him pissed off, sometimes, just to see him draw those brows together. Lieutenant Thundercloud.” She smiled in memory. ”And the most beautiful eyes beneath them. And his hands. He’s got these blunt fingers, and you don’t think he’ll be graceful, but then he is, and it catches you by surprise.”

“I would have said that the Lieutenant always looked striking from behind,” Chakwas said, “but to each their own, I suppose.”

Kasumi sighed. ”Keiji had the best nose. He’d broken it four times- well, technically one of those times was me,” she said with a smile, and flexed an arm. ”He used to say that I’d ruined his perfect face.”

“To noses and brows and fine behinds,” Chakwas offered, and they toasted and drank. The older woman then levered herself deftly off the couch, showing little sign of the considerable amount she’d drunk, and stretched. ”I’d better call it a night, Commander. Injuries wait for no one. Goodnight, Kasumi,” she added, and the younger woman nodded agreeably.

The quiet of space surrounded them, and the two women gazed out the windows at the expanse of stars.

“You should send him a message,” Kasumi said, and Shep shook her head in a negative.

“I tried. But what do I say? ’Hi, I’m not dead anymore, how about you?’” Shep sat, comfortable, tired, heartsore. Kasumi, out of all the people on the ship, understood.

“Two years,” she said, turning to the younger woman. ” _Two years_. And I remember him like it was yesterday.” She shook her head. ”People don’t come back from the dead, Kasumi. What if-“

She faltered. ”I’m just a greybox. A bunch of memories tied into an artificial construct.”

Kasumi turned the small device over in her hands- it was never far from her person, and said nothing.

“If Keiji came back, here and now, would you believe it? Would you just accept that it was him, no questions asked, just because he had what was in _that_?” Shep nodded at the device. ”How would you know it was him? How would _he_ know it was him?”

“I don’t know,” Kasumi said at last, and picked up her drink.

The two women sat, and watched the stars, and in the companionable silence, mourned.


End file.
